Shipping case



sept; 2, 1930. 1 HILL ETA; 1,774,511

' SHIPPING CASE Filed Feb. 2'7, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l l j ATTORNEY l. HILL ETI' AL Sept. 2, 1930.

SHIPPING CASE 4 Sheets-Seet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1928 AToRNEY Sept. .2, 1930. l. HILL Er AL 1,774,511

SHIPPING CASE Filed Feb. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Shave?, 3

ATTORNEY Sept. 2, 11930. l. HILL Er AL 1,774,511

SHIPPING CASE Filed Feb. 27, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 J Y l j 4g 1 M/IINVENTORS, 46 0 47 5/ g A TTORNEY Patented Sept. 2, 1930 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE IRVING HILL AND ROSS II. CLAYTON, 0F LAWRENCE, KANSAS, ASSIGNORS TO LAW- RENCE PAPER MANUFACTURING COINIEANY, OF LA'WRENCE, KANSAS, A COI-AR'INER-V SHIP COMPOSED 0F THE M. G. BOWERSCK TRUST (JUSTIN D. BOVERSOCK, IRVING HILL, AND PAUL A. DINSIVIOOR, TRUSTEES), IRVING HILL, PAUL A. DINSMOOR,

HORTENSE B. HILL, AND MARY B. DINSMOR SHIPPING OASE Application filed February 27, 1928.

Our invention relates to containers and more particularly to cases for carriage of eggs, fruit and the like, requiring relatively careful handling, frequent inspection ofcontents, and protection of contents from damageby moisture the principal object of the invention being to provide a paper case that can be manufactured and sold relatively cheaply, that will possess desirable qualities of wooden shipping cases such as egg cases and fruit crates, that can be securely closed but readily opened for inspection of contents or otherl purpose incident to marketing without marring the appearance of the case, that will render inspection convenient, and that may be collapsed for s-hipment or storage.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a paper board container adapted for being grasped to be shifted or lifted, having bnifer means to protect adjacent cases from collision damage, having substantially the standard dimensions of containers now used for similar purposes, and having strength sufficient to withstand the usual strains put upon containers in the process of transportation, handling or storage.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred form of the case with the cover in closed pos-ie tion.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the case with the lid removed.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the case from below, portions being broken away for better disclosure of structure.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view through one end of the case illustrating the means of fastening the cover to the body.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from f which the cover is made.

Serial No. 257,371.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the case in collapsed position.

Fig. 7 is a perspec'ive view of a modified form wherein the cover is made integral with the body.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the modified form shown in Fig. 7, with the cover open.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of a further modified form wherein the case is made of one piece including the cover and a midrib,

Fig. l() is a horizontal sectional view through the form shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 1l is a blank for making the box shown in Fig. 9.

Referring in detail first to the preferred -form illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 of the drawings: ,f

p l designates a case formed of cellular mnterial such as ibreboard, pulpboard, andcoinbinations thereof, and preferably formed oi double faced corrugated board and comprising a body member and a lid 25S. -While the upper and lower closures, namely, the lid and the bottom, may be constructed similarly, as presently described `For the cover structure, for equally ready access to top or bottom of the box, we prefer to provide a body cour prising a bottom d consisting of iiaps 5 and 6, sides 7 and 8, and ends 9 and 10..l

The side 7 is illustrated as comprising one end of a continuous strip or blank, and the end member 10 as comprising the other end of the blank. These blank ends are broughttogether in assembly, and oined by suitable means such as a strip of paper,'cloth or othe:1 material fastened to the two. members, and preferably by a flange or wing 11 on a se lected end of the side member 7 engaged with an edge such as l2 of the end 1() by fasteners 13. Locking hooks 14 and 15 are provided on the upper edges of the end members 9'and 10preferably by outwardly downbending the upper edges of the end members to provide` integral resilient outstanding hook-likevfiaps 16 connected with the body by necks 17 which are preferably as long as the widths of the end members, the downbending of the edges providing pocket-s or sockets 18 to receive interlocking elements of the cover presently described.

Upper side flaps 19 and 2O of the body are shown as inturned and preferably relatively narrow in the preferred form, for easy inspection of the contents when the cover is removed. A cross member 21 may also be installed in any desired position in the body and when incorporated in the prefeired forms has opposite/ly directed wings 22 and 23 attached by suitable means, such as staples Qi, to supporting members, for example, the sides of the box, the wings being oppositely turned to permit collapse of the body member for shipment or storage.

The cover or lid member 3 is formed from a blank illustrated in Fig. 5, the material of which is preferably heavier than the body material and may be different in character. The blank is scored on lines 25, adjacent one margin, and preferably adjacent the margins representing the ends of the cover, to provide a top or closure portion 26 and hookshaped end flaps 27, the flaps being ft-)ldable on score lines 2S and 29 to produce vertical wall or face portions 30 and 31, shoulder portions 32 and inturned lip or iiange portions 33, whereby the hook-like character may be conferred. The hooks of the cover member are thus adapted to engage the downturned flaps of the body to retain the cover on the body. An end flap 27 may be bent downwardly and its lip 33 bent inwardly and upwardly for insertion of the lip 33 between the locking hook 15 and end wall 10 of the body whereby, when means presently described hold the locking hook 15 parallel to the end wall 10, the interlocked flap and lip will lock the cover to the body member. 'lhe two wall portions 3() and 31 of a cover hook are produced by the provision of a slot or rectangular opening 3% adjacent each end of the cover, the opening extending inwardly from the score line 25 into the closure portion 26 of the cover and the inner end of the opening being designated 35. The depth of the portion 35 of the opening is substantially equal to the width of the neck portion 17 of the adjacent end member of the body. The opening 34 is preferably limited outwardly by the outer score line 29 which defines the lip 33, whereby the hook comprises an integral transverse member, the opposite end portions of which are connected by a neck portion 3G. Then the cover hook iiap is bent for engagement with the body hook, as in F ig. 2, the inner face of the lip is exposed through the slot, and when the cover hook is engaged with the body hook 15, the face of the hook 15 is exposed through the slot.

The engaged hooks of cover and body provide not only interlocking means for securing the cover to the body, but an integral handle for the boX.

lWe further provide fastening means to hold the body hook in position, as previously herein indicated, which may be installed in engagement with body and hook areas de fined by the slot 3st of the cover, and preferA ably comprising a clamp or clip member 37 adapted to be inserted through the slot 3l and over the neck 17 of a body hook to urge the hook toward the member of the bod)` and clamp the hook in downbent position to retain the cover hook in end-hook engaging position. The body portion 38 of the clamping member may be of any convenient length. The bridge portion 39 is preferably conformable to the width of the neck portion 17 of the downbent upper edge or hook 15 of the body, and the arm 40 is substantially as long as the width of the hook 15, the member being preferably resilient and relatively rigid, its width being substantially equal to the width of the slot, and its arm Ll0 having an outturned end Ll1.

ylhe fastening` means is, therefore, positioned below the outer .surfaces of the box members, and is thus protected from disturbance by agencies moving over or adjacent the box, and is unable to injure other objects.

In the modified form of the device illus trated in Figs. 7 and 8, the cover is made integral. with the body and comprises cover members 42 and L13 constituting elongated side flap members, each extending across the body to completely close the top opening thereof. rllie cover hooks therein comprise downbent portions L41 and 45 on opposite edges of the outer ends of the cover elements, each hook being not more than half the width of the cover element, whereby when the two cover elen'ients are closed on the body, and the rowihooks are engaged with the body hooks. adjacent ends of cover hooks may be spare-'i to provide a recess Ll-(S analogous to the .slot of the preferred cover to admit the 'fastoiici' for clamping the end hook to the body to lock the lips the cover book between the body hooks and the vertical walls of the cover hooks.

ifarious modilications in form will be readily discovered, constructed of integral blanlc; of which the end j'ortions represent one or another portion of the box. one such n'iodilied forni being illustrated in 9, 10 and 11. The figures represent a b i of the general character previously a. )ed but in which a cover, body and miflrib are all formed from a single integral blank illustrated in Fig. 1l. For this form the blank comprises a side portion 47, portions i3 and 49 making up the other side, end portions 5() and 5l, portions 52 and 53 comprising one closure elrment, and an intermediate portion 54- comprising the complementary cover element. The cross member is a midrib comprising the portion 55 of one end of the blank inbent lo pass transversely across the box and having a wing 56 for attachment tothe side oit' the box. A wing 57 opposite the midrib portion is Aadapted for attachment to the side member 49 for completing the box structure. In this form, slots 58 and 59 produced in the blank provide cover hook portions, suoli as GO and (il, similar to the hooks of the other forms.

Since a container constructed as described may be opened and reclosed many times without disclosure of removal of fastener and cover, re provide sealing means to guard against and disclose pilferage or unwarranted inspection, comprising an element having part-s connected with the cover and body in closed position thereof. Said means preferably comprise a. sealer 62 which must be displaced to permit release of the fastener, and which may consist of a sealing strip .adhesively attached to the box, for example, to the cover across the fastener-admitting slot therein.

Further incidental features may be provided, to improve efficiency, such as a tillerin pad 63 in the bottom of the box between the ends of the usual inturned end fiaps 6% and 65 to till the space between the same and pro duce a level floor.

In using the device provided in any of the illustrated forms, the body hooks are turned outwardly into position for receiving` cover hooks, and the ends of the cover are downbcnt and inbent toform hooks. The inner lips or flanges of the cover hooks are then inserted into the pockets of the body hooks and the interloclred hooksdownbent to seat the cover tightly upon the body. Engaging the body hooks with the cover hooks tends to seat the cover on the box although thewall portions of the cover hooks must be urged toward the body to prevent outspringing of the united hooks due to tendency thereof toreturn to unbent position. The interlocked cover hooks and body hooks being held in close assembled position, the removable clips are inserted through the openings of the cover over the exposed portions of the body hooks, and resiliently retain the body hooks in downbent position substantiallyparallel with the body, thereby locking the cover hooks in engagement with the body. he cover cannot be removed except by unbending the body hooks, and removal is easily made possible by displacing the clip. p

The transversely extending body hook and the doubly folded end hooks of the cover provide a cleat-like buffer, and being formed of the paper board describec, the buffer is rela.- tively resilient whereby hazard of damage to contents, by shifting due to .movements of the carrier, or during handling, is avoided. The transverse butter members also constitute handles similar to the cleats or cross pieces adjacent the upper edges of cratesv whereby the cases illustrated may be conveniently handled. The restraint ot' the inturned cover hook lip and downturned body hook 'by the metal clip member' provides relatively vertical rigidity for the comparatively fragile paper board, thus improving the cleat function of the transverse member comprised of the hooks. The retention ofthe hook elements by the resilient metal clip also reenforces the transverse compound element against tearing or breaking under tension and the element may, therefore, be engaged by the fingers for pulling a case horizontally along the floor or from a stack.

The structure, including the sinking of the fasteners or clips, above referred to, whereby all of the longitudinal surfaces are relatively smooth and unobstructed, also facilitates stacking, and sliding disengagement of a selected case from a stack. The midribs, while permitting collapse of the cases for storage or shipment in small space, provide rigidity against vertical stresses. so that the cases may be piled one upon another uf'ithout hazard of breakage, and strains upon the tops or sides of the cases are not likely to cause 'breakage of the cases nor of contents. The construction of the cases from corrugated double-faced board also avoids warping, and thus assures constant volume for occupancy by the cases throughout their life.

Cases constructed as described are easily opened for inspection. The metal clips are easily lifted from locking position, whereupon the cover hooks may be released from the body hooks by a single motion and the cover lifted for inspection of the contents. The covers may be restored with relative ease to originally secure closed position and no mari-ing of any portion of the body, cover or hook members need occur. A resilient cli p is adapted for securely clamping a body liool; upon each occasion of installation and even tliough the material may be someuv'hat depre` ed because of frequent removal and restoration of the clip, the resilient clip will continue to function to latch the cover hook in interlocking position with the Ibody hook.

A container having significant char: ateristics and elements illustrated and described, serves substantially the saine purposes as a wooden crate or case andv possesses substantially all the advantages of the wooden case with additional advantages peculiar to its structure and the material of which it is composed. Y

l/Vhat We claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A box comprising a body portion having lend hooks, and a lid provided withhooks engageable with the body hooks, and an independent member adapted to be mounted on the box for retaining the body hooks in cover-hooli-engaging position.

2. In a paperboard box of the character described, combined locking and handle means Comprising a handle element on the cover ot the box, a handle element on the body ot the box eiigageable with said Cover element, and an independent member adapted to be mounted on the box for latehing the handle elements in engaged position.

A box Con'iprising a body portion having downturned hooks, a cover for the box, and lips integral with the cover engageable undei said hooks.v and an independent meinber tor retaining the downturned hooks in parallel alignment with the body ofthe box.

el. A box Comprising a body portion having downturned hooks, a cover ifor the box, hooks on the Cover engageable under the body hooks` and a Clip projeetable through the cover into engagement with the body hooks to lock the Cover hooks in engagement with the downturned hooks.

5. A box Comprising a body portion having integral cover hooks and downturned end flaps, lips on the Cover hooks engageable under the downturned end flaps, and a Clip movable into engagement with the iiaps and body portion for retaining the end iiaps in downturned position.

G. A box eon'iprising a body member having an end hook, a lid having a flap turned back npon itself to provide a lip inserable between said hook and the body member for engaging the flap Vith the. hook, and fastener eoinprising a Clip-like member slidably movable over the hook and body member to press the hook towards the body and retain the flap in hook-engagingposition.

7. A Container Comprising a body member having a. Hap portion providing a hook,` a Cover havinga liap member provided with an inturned lip engageable with the hoekot" the body member, and a detached sliding clamping member having a bmly-engaging portion and a. flap-engaging portion tor Clamping the hook in position. n

8. A box Comprising a body having an integral end hook, a Cover having heidi-engaging means including wall portions having integral inbent lips engageable with the end hook, the wall portions beingspaced to admit a fastener to the hook, and a fastener admissible to the hooi: between the said spaced portions to Clamp the hook to the body to retain said lips.

9. A box comprising body having a downwardly opening strap-like hook on its upper ecge, a Cover having a downturned end portion provided with an intui'ned lip engageable with said hook. the Cover being provided with an opening, tor exposing a portion ot said hook in assembled position of the box, and a resilient fastener having a. portion adapted to enter said opening to engage said exposed portion of the hook and retain the same in downwardly opening position to lock the downturned end portion oi the Cover in hook-engaging position.

lO. A box comprising a body having atop edge arranged to turn outwardly, a Cover comprising a blank formed from paper board and having a double oldable flap engageable with the turned edge of the body, the Cover being provided with a slot tov admit a tastener to the top edge of the body, and a fastener comprising a clip movable into engagement with the box through the slot over the downturned top edge of the body to retain said edge in cover flap-engaging position.

1l. A box comprising a body portion haring integral cover flaps and downturned end flaps, lips on the cover flaps engageable under the downturned end fia ps, a cross member integral with the body portion for supporting the Cover flaps in box closing position, and a clip for retaining the end flaps in downturned position.

l2. A box comprising a body portion having downturned end flaps, a Cover member having end flaps provided with lips engageable under the downturned end flaps, a cross infinber integral with the body port-ion for snpporting the cover in box-Closing position, and a clip for retaining the end flaps in downturned position.

i3. A box comprising a body portion having integral cover iiaps and downturned end flaps, lips on the cover flaps engageable under the downturned end flaps, a eross member integral with the body portion for dividing and supporting the contents, for strengthening the box, and supporting the cover in boxelosing position.

14. A box comprising a body portion having downturned ond flaps, a cover member having end lips engageable under the downturned end flaps, a cross member integral with the body portion for dividing and supporting the contents, for strengthening the box, and supporting the cover in box-closing` position.

l5. A box formed from a single sheet ol.'V material comprising a body portion, integral cover elements at its opposite sides, integral inidrib portions for dividing the contents and for strengthening the box and supporting the cover, downturned end fiaps at the opposite ends oi the body portion, hook members on the Cover elements, engageable under the end flaps, and means to retain the end flaps in downturned position.

1G. A box comprising a body portion having integral Cover elements at its opposite sides and downturned end hooks at its opposite ends, complementary hook members on the Cover elements engageable under the end hooks, and a clip adapted to be projected between adjacent complementary hook members to engage the end hooks and retain the same in downturned position.

17. A box comprising a body portion havllo ing :integral cover elements at its opposite sides and downturned end hooks at its op posite ends, spaced hook members on the covol elements engagea-ble under the end hooks, and it clip adapted to be projected between adjacent cover hook members to clamp the body end hooks to the body for retaining the cover hooks in end-hook engaging position.

In testimony whereof We :Lx our sgnatures.

IRVING HILL. ROSS H. CLAYTON. 

